GM opts to keep Opel, scraps sale to Magna

 

GM said it expected that restructuring Opel on its own would cost about 3 billion euros ($4.41 billion).

"GM will soon present its restructuring plan to Germany and other governments and hopes for its favorable consideration,

Germany had promised 4.5 billion euros ($6.58 billion) in aid to help close the Magna deal, which was widely seen as the option for Opel most likely to preserve jobs

German state of Hesse's premier, Roland Koch, said he was angered by GM's decision not to sell Opel to Magna, and that he wanted GM to pay back its bridge loan by November 30.

Click on the following for more details:  GM opts to keep Opel, scraps sale to Magna - Yahoo! News

Editorial - The Halliburton [Cheney] Loophole - NYTimes.com

 

It stripped the Environmental Protection Agency of its authority to regulate a drilling process called hydraulic fracturing. Invented by Halliburton in the 1940s, it involves injecting a mixture of water, sand and chemicals, some of them toxic, into underground rock formations to blast them open and release natural gas.

Congress last week approved a bill that asks the E.P.A. to conduct a new study on the risks of hydraulic fracturing.

even more important bill is waiting in the wings. Cumbersomely named the Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals Act, it would close the loophole and restore the E.P.A.’s rightful authority to regulate hydraulic fracturing. It would also require the oil and gas industry to disclose the chemicals they use.

Click on the following to read the opinion in its entirety:  Editorial - The Halliburton Loophole - NYTimes.com

Kane County halts H1N1 shot appointments

 

"We have no additional vaccine in the pipeline at this point, so we're not going to make additional appointments."

Like many surrounding counties, Kane County offered general clinics in October. Kane County officials ran low on vaccines, so they opted for individual appointments.

Read more by clicking on the following:  Daily Herald | Kane halts H1N1 shot appointments

Warrants are public record

Crystal Lake newspaper critical of practice of the McHenry County Court.

Search warrants obtained by law enforcement agencies in Illinois are a matter of public record after they’ve been executed and returned to the courts, with few exceptions.

By sealing so many search warrants for no valid reason, there’s no way the public can know whether its judicial system is acting properly in obtaining them.

And the few returned search warrants that have been unsealed locally also are hard to find. McHenry County Circuit Clerk Kathy Keefe said her office is in the process of fixing that. We’ll be checking back with the clerk as well.

Click the following for the complete opinion statement and comments from readers:  Northwest Herald | Warrants are public record

Foreclosures Climb in Suburban Communities

 

thinktank Woodstock Institute, Kane County foreclosure filings almost doubled in the third quarter from the same period last year. \

the foreclosure crisis has expanded to include middle-class people who have lost their jobs.  In the third quarter, DuPage, Lake and McHenry counties also saw big jumps.

when the economy bounces back, higher-income suburbs should recover quickly. He says he’s worried the same won’t be true for some lower-income communities.

Click on the following fo0r more of this story:  City Room™ - Business - Foreclosures Climb in Suburban Communities

State finances floundering amid signs of economic improvement

 

The University of Illinois Flash Index rose to 90.7 in October, an increase of seven-tenths of a point from the previous month and the first substantial increase since the current recession began two years ago.

University of Illinois economist J. Fred Giertz, who has compiled the Flash Index since 1995, said "considerable concern remains about the strength of the recovery, as evidenced by weak consumer spending."

Trotter says the state's situation remains dire. Vendors are months behind in getting paid for their services and Chicago transit systems say they need millions in state funds to avert service cuts or fare hikes.

Click on the following for more details:  State finances floundering amid signs of economic improvement

BLOG Count for Boone County Watchdog: 712 visitors since 9-28-2009; 291 unique visitors

**********************************************************